hqueen's collection of Far From the Usual stuff.

[hqueen13]

Well, no more boxes are packed, but I feel really accomplished with Storm. H told me she wanted to ride him before I left (actually, in her words, I wasn't allowed to take him away before she got the chance to ride!) and so I told her I was planning on riding this afternoon. I got set up and made sure that I could also work in the trailer when we were done, and got him all ready. He was a bit sweaty in the pasture, which made me happy, and so we headed to the hot arena. Now I remember why I like to ride in the morning... there is some semblance of shade down there!
I got started, and worked him on the circle asking him to step up with his right hind again, and it seemed, whether my imagination or not, that he looked better on that side than he did before. I got up on him pretty quick and found that I needed to work pretty hard to keep his attention, and that I was really having to bend him to get him to shift his weight onto his hind end. Of course "bending" in Storm's terms is nothing compared to what has to be done for the noodle arabians, but it was still a lot more than I often have to do. He was doing well though and putting in some good effort. H finally came down ready to ride, so I got down and let her up. She was really able to put him together very fast, and he looked fantastic. I was THRILLED. She moved him into a trot, and was still able to keep him together. She worked that for a while and asked if I was ok if she cantered him, and I told her sure that I trusted her judgement and knew that she was going to have more ability to hold him together than I ever would. It took him a minute to figure out that she wanted him to canter, but when he did it was lovely. She was really able to pull him together quickly, and his steps got soft and light and he really began to swing through the motion and flowed beautifully. I was thrilled. She changed direction and worked him to the right, which is the side that he struggles on, but he managed to pick up the canter in that direction without too much trouble. It was obvious that he was working pretty hard, but was able to hold it together. I was really really pleased. He couldn't hold it as long, so she allowed him to stop, and gave him really good scratches for his effort. We took him back up the hill and untacked him and I hosed him off good before I took him up to the trailer to practice.
I was pleased with his effort there, too, he again tried pretty hard (though he got his squirrelly moment out of the way early on) and was able to get all the way into the trailer several times. I realized he's going to have to be ALL the way in the trailer in order to even think of putting up the butt bar, so we're going to have to work on making sure he goes in, and then that he doesn't mind me messing around back there, banging the bar, rubbing his legs, and making noise, and that he'll stand there until told to do otherwise. He has no treats or anything in the front of the trailer right now, so it will be a nice reward when I do put food up front. I think that I will be prepared when I load him for the trip, and have someone waiting at the front to give him a carrot when he loads up and keep him a little happier while I get him closed up good. We'll see what happens anyway.
Now I'm drenched and dried in sweat, and I'm a bit achy from all the effort. I don't think any boxes are getting packed today. That work had to be done, and its supposed to rain all day tomorrow. I was supposed to run up to the farm tomorrow, but I think we're going to post pone that until Saturday when the weather will be fine again. That will mean I can just work in the house all day and not have to worry about getting anything else done. Not sure what is next on the list, I'm beginning to get to the point where most of the stuff that can be packed is packed, and the other stuff that needs to be packed is going to have to be separated out between the other half and I, which requires discussion. I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.

 

[Denim Deb]

I year ya on the rude horses! That's one reason I don't like to feed CL's horses-they're rude. Sure, I could teach them manners, but they're not my horses and I don't have time.

Misty's not quite where I want her for her manners, but she's still better than most of the other horses I know. I've had people that are shocked when they realize she's one of those crazy Arabians that are supposed to be so hard to handle.

Eventually, I'm going to want Misty to load herself. But, as long as I'm using the stock trailer, I can't. I have to go in w/her so I can tie her.

 

[hqueen13]

LOL, crazy arabs! Naa, our riding lesson buddy, Julius, is an arab, and he has always had decent manners. He won't ground tie in the barn like Storm, but he does pretty good. And Storm mostly just ground ties when I'm with him, I can't walk away from him without him wanting to follow me. I can get about 8 steps before he wants to go with me, LOL. But he's still pretty good.

CRAZY rain this morning. It wasn't enough to register in the gauge, but it was pretty nuts, and I got SOAKED helping to get the horses in. We probably didn't need to, but oh well, too late now. They're in, and they are probably going to stay in all day since the worst is coming later today. I'm pretty nervous because I dislike storms in the first place (oh the irony, I know, I know). I don't know what I'll do, I guess I'll go down in the barn if I feel worried enough about the weather, since I live in a trailer on top of a hill. At least the barn is cinder block. Strange cinder block, but cinder block all the same.

trying to decide what to do with the rest of my day. I guess I'll tackle the filing system and get the paperwork sorted out, what we need to shred, what needs to be kept and what is his versus mine. Its a lot of paper that is for sure.

I also need to make butter today with the cream I picked up yesterday.

But first I think I need some food...

 

[hqueen13]

B texted me and asked for help bringing the horses in this morning, and so I went outside and got DRENCHED doing so. Storm's herd would NOT come all the way up. I don't know if it has to do with his knowledge of past trauma in storms, or if they don't like to go to the top of a hill in a storm, or what, but we had to go get pretty much every one of them. Every time it would rain harder, they would turn butt to the rain, which was facing the wrong way to get up the hill and out the gate. I actually had to wrap the lead rope around Storm's head to make a makeshift halter to get him up and out of the pasture, which put me in a precarious position considering how close it kept me to him and his feet. Thankfully he mostly just didn't want to move, and wasn't trying to bolt or spin too much. I could tell he was torn between doing what I was asking (even before I got to him, when I was only calling to him) and doing what he felt would keep him and the herd safe. I had water running down my pants into my boots by the time I was done. I couldn't find socks I was in a hurry to get outside, and ended up rubbing a spot on my ankle raw because of it. I helped B give hay to everybody while we waited for the rain to slow, and of course, the rest of today has been pretty. They should have stayed out and then come in this afternoon before whatever second round of crap hits us. But we didn't know the first round wasn't going to be that bad, so they came in, and have been in all day. I don't know if the evening crew will be instructed to wait until later to feed and turn them out since the rough stuff is supposed to be over in about 3 hours. I'm REALLY not thrilled that it will probably hit before anyone gets home to be here with me, so it will just be little me alone on the top of a hill in lord knows what kind of scary weather. Little me with 2 dogs, 2 chinchillas and 27 horses. Not real thrilled about that at all.

After spending the rest of the morning recovering and drying off (I think my hair is still probably wet...) I managed to reorganize the files so that they are split, and the other half's stuff is in the file boxes and mine is in the drawers that I'll be taking with me. It still needs more reorganizing work, but it is what it is at this point. I have half of a large paper bag filled with stuff to shred, so that's good.

Boo for getting dark and scary again. I guess I should find real clothes and find some socks before this hits again in case I need to scramble for whatever reason.

Never a dull moment.

 

[Denim Deb]

We got about an inch of rain this morning, but nothing since. We could get more later-in fact the radar is showing something coming up from the south! So, I'm thinking that's probably the same system that you have.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ya'll stay safe!

 

[hqueen13]

It was supposed to have been, Deb, but it totally fizzled up here and went further south. I'm grateful, honestly! Weather like that can not come here any time! LOL

However, its raining AGAIN this morning! I think the horses are growing gills as we speak! AND to boot, there is a guy here fixing the street light and dangling telephone wire... in the rain. Crazy!!

Today I planned to work the horses in the trailer, but that won't happen until this afternoon at the earliest, and even then I don't know if I want to with as muddy as I'm sure it is up there.

But its not like I don't have PLENTY to do in the house:

I have to make calls to 3 people today, plus call a rental center about a fridge.
I need to do some laundry, which is also going to require that I make more detergent (I've been putting it off all week....)
I need to pack more, which is perpetually on the list, and some of that is going to hinge on talking to the landlord to find out if he'll let us in the house this weekend. If he will, then I can go ahead and load up more boxes so we can get them out of here. The less I move now the less I have to move later.

It doesn't sound like much, but there is so much I can be doing right now... Now, we'll see how far I get.

 

[Denim Deb]

I so hear ya on the rain! I was going to take the bike this morning. Went out to check on the garden-and it started to rain! We did get that rain last night, but the thunder and lightening stayed pretty much southeast of me. I had planned on riding Misty for a bit today. I think that's out.

 

[hqueen13]

Well, we're gorgeous here now, Deb. I hope you get your ride in! I think I'm going to wait until its a bit dryer to work with the horses at the trailer. Maybe some time this weekend if I actually have time... don't know how possible that is or not! Next week looks better weather wise, storms in the forecast Monday and Tuesday but clear after that! Finally, a break!!

I haven't gotten near what I wanted to get done this morning. I started into the detergent, and grated up the two bars of Fels Naptha pretty fast, which made me happy. But then I started getting it grated up in the blender and discovered that I didn't have enough of ANY of the rest of the ingredients to complete the double batch! ARGH! Since both bars of Fels were already mixed, there was nothing I could do, so I've been waiting for the other half to tell me what else we need at BJ's so I can go make a run. I can make a stop at the vacuum store while I'm out, and then by the grocery store to get more washing soda, and I'll be good.

I have gotten my phone calls made this morning, plus caught up with an old friend for a little while. I managed to get the clean clothes folded, and get another load washed, and dried, and a few things hung on a rack outside. Now I have to wait for more detergent before I can finish the other load(s) that I have that need to be done. This afternoon I plan to do some more packing and keep up with the laundry.

 

[hqueen13]

Just got back from BJ's. They had Baking Soda on sale for $1.50 off! WAHOO! I bought 2 13 lb bags for $4.79 each! Yay for sales on stuff I USE!
Got back and finished putting together the detergent only to discover that we're basically out of salt! ARGH! I told the other half and he said that there is more in the cabinet. Enough to make 2 full cups, I don't know, but we'll see. It doesn't HAVE to have the salt, so I can live with out it, it was just annoying to discover that! Glad I got everything at BJ's, now we're set with enough toilet paper, kleenex, ziplock bags and trash bags so that none of us will have to buy them for a while. I'll split everything and put away what will stay here, and make a box for what will go with me to the new place, and we'll be set. That makes me feel good that I won't have to worry about it for a bit.

I'm back now and so I guess I should probably try to pack some more things. I guess we'll see how far I can get before the guys get home. At least the windows are open and the fresh air is coming in! Its so lovely outside!